Optokinetic perceptual learning device and method for stimulating sensory awareness and learning



Feb. 24, 1970 s. c. cmswsu. 314 5 OPTOKINETIC PERCEPTUAL LEARNING DEVICEAND METHOD FOR STIMULATING SENSORY AWARENESS AND LEARNING Filed. April18, 196.8

INVENTOR ELEANOR CAMP CRISWELL ATTORNEY United I States Patent 3,496,649OPTOKINETIC PERCEPTUAL LEARNING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR STIMULATINGSENSORY AWARENESS AND LEARNING Eleanor Camp Criswell, Gainesville, Fla.(5022 Rahlves Drive, Castro Valley, Calif. 94546) Filed Apr. 18, 1968,Ser. No. 722,457

Int. Cl. G09b 1/09 U.S. Cl. 35-1 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Acylindrical drum, adapted to be mounted on a turntable, is providedaround its exterior with exchangeable bands with data displayed thereon,for example, in panels, which data is displayed to the observer as thedrum r0- tates, thereby providing a rapid presentation of a complexvisual stimulus and inducing a visual following reflex.

FIELD OF INVENTION Surgery, orthopedics, eye.

PRIOR ART Morgan 2,955,509, representative of praxinoscopic devices;Strauss et al. Des. 144,949, showing a decorative drum beneath aphonograph turntable.

OBJECTS One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide forthe stimulation of sensory awareness through the rapid presentation of acomplex visual stimulus over sustained time period, by means of apattern or patterns on a rotating drum. The moving visual stimulus makesuse of the optokinetic visual following reflex or response in ahorizontal direction so that the visual response is a natural reactionin the most natural direction for eye movement of human vision, which isalso the basic eye movement for reading. More specifically, this reflexoccasions a horizontal optokinetic nystagmus characterized by a pursuitfollowing eye movement and a rapid return movement so that the nystagmusis actually eye movement in two directions, back and forth, rapidly. Theeye movement begins immediately with the initial drum movement. It isthus intended to provide a device for inducing a following eye movementandto therefore stimulate various areas of the brain, and to produce avisual-occipital response to patterned visual presentation, wherein thepattern is regularly changed, and wherein the change in pattern isaccompanied by changes or slight flickering of reflected light.

Neurophysiological studies using electrophalo-grams and implantedelectrodes indicates that .the visually stimulating properties of adesign can be found in the contrast between light and dark areas whichstimulate on and off cells in the retina of the eye. The more interfacesbetween white and black areas or the more edges present in the design,the more visually exciting the design is, as indicated by the evokedbrain response as well as by studies using human infants, based upon theamount of time they spend attending to one visual stimulus as opposed toanother, indicating interest and stimulation factors as part ofattending. The visual stimulus of a design is found more in the densityof its interfaces than even the presence of color. For example, aprinted page, especially one densely packed with words and moving slowlyhorizontally is more exciting and visually stimulating than movingpictures or less complex design, colored or uncolored.

Another concept behind this invention has to do with variety or noveltypresented to the eye. Assuming that around a drum rotating slowly, forexample, at 16 r.p.m. there is arranged a band of panels, each one adensely printed page, like a series of different pages from adietionary, and with little or no division between the pages or panels.The eye is prevented from finding a resting place in the design. Thecomplexity of the design is an important factor in that it issuificiently varied in presentation to prevent the monotony effect frombeing present, assuming that with any given subject the same band is notused to often because the subject habituates to it, i.e., he grows usedto it, which is a function of the learning process, and the designbecomes less visually exciting.

If the entire visualization process be reduced to a rapid dynamiccomplex presentation of a complex visual stimulus, the following resultsensue: Repeated presentations of a stimulus, such as visual sensoryinput, is transduced by the retina into electrical impulses which aresent partly to the occipital lobe and partly to the reticular activatingsystem and diffuse thalamic activating system which serve the functionof alerting the organism and regulating the level of activation of theorganism and, therefore, the level of awareness, consciousness, andattention. These activating impulses are then sent back up to the cortexto various areas to enhance the function of that area. With repeatedstimulation, the level of activation continues to rise with each newstimulus. There is a recruiting of neurons and a summation of effects.Because this is the basic activating core of the central nervous system,all senses that have collateral or connections with the RAS (reticularactivating system) are awakened as the cortex is toned up and preparedfor action in whatever mode is necessary.

When a certain level of function is achieved, there are establishedreverberating circuits which continue to trigger each other for a periodof time outlasting the original sensory input by a period of timedepending upon the level reached by the summation of the stimulation.Hence, it is an object to provide not only for the stimulation oftemporal sensory awareness, but also for an after response effect which,in the case of a patterned drum whose rotation in one direction has beenstopped, manifests itself in an apparent movement in the reversedirection, as well as all other objects viewed at this time.

I A further object of the invention is to provide for the enhancement ofreading level and ability as well as comprehension and concentration. Bythe provision of a perceptual learning device which teaches ways ofperceiving as well as learning the material on a drum simply by watchingit as it is repeatedly presented in a highly alerting situation. Byplacing vocabulary and other intellectual concepts on the bands of therotating drum, such concepts may be put into a subjects mind by thelearning process entailed with repetitive exposure, and desirable habitsof eye movement may be instilled.

Other uses include the enhancement of mood level in hospital patients,and use in connection with EEG laboratory work. In this latterconnection, one of the variables in evaluating EEG measurements entailsthe Subjects stimuli at the time the measurements are made. By providingstimuli of known characteristics, much of the variables can 'be reduced,and enlightening comparisons can be made between the EEG patterns of anumber of subjects exposed to the same stimuli.

These and other objects will be apparent from the followingspecification and drawing, in which the sole figure is a perspectiveview showing the device in typical operatve envronment.

Referring now to the drawing, the optokinetic perceptual learning device2 consists in a sight-cylindrical drum 4 having a bottom 6 provided witha center hole 8 for fitting over the spindle of a turntable 10. Theturntable may be that of an ordinary phonograph :12. having aspeedselection adjustment, such as the four-speed lever 14,

which provides a standard selection of 16 r.p.m., 33 /3 r.p.m., 45r.p.m. and 78 rpm. A continuously variable speed adjustment could beprovided as could an adjustment for varying the standard speeds plus orminus a few I. .m.s.

Fitted around drum 4 is removable band 16 which can be made of paper,plastic or the like, with a white background, the band, in this example,being divided into panels 18 having a dense array of indicia 20 thereon.Also in this example, indicia 20 are black printed words, the panels 18being densely printed pages of a dictionary, which pages are two columnsof words wide, the pages being arranged closely enough together toprovide no wider white space between them than the white spaces betweenthe word columns. It will be understood that a number of different bands16 are to be provided, each with different indicia, their commonimportant characteristic being that they, on the background, provide avast number of contrast interfaces. As on any ordinary dictionary page,the words to be defined may be in bold type and the defining words inlighter type, although this is not critical. This example is typical ofa band used for learning. Other types of learning bands may be used, asfor example, where the indicia would be a foreign language vocabulary.For teaching reading, meaningful phases could be arrayed across thepanels, and for EEG tests or sensorysharpening effects, or even simpleamusement, the indicia could be symbols without established meaning.

In operation, the subject is seated facing the drum in a good light andis instructed to gaze intently, but in a relaxed manner, at the indiciawhich are presented as the drum rotates, for example, at 16 r.p.m., andto count subvocally, such as oneI am, two-I am, etc. through ten, thepurpose of this being to block out initial reading response until thedata design present them-selves fully, without editing out part of it inthe discriminating reading response. This method of c unting seems tofacilitate the process in that the subjects attention is alertly fixedon the data presented as a whole, plus there is self-identification ofthe subject with the data and the design thereof. Ordinarily, after asession of ten minutes following the initial counting period, whichcounting may be prolonged further into the session, there should be apause to allow the subject to experience the after effects of thestimulation. The band should be changed periodically, such as everythird session to retain novelty. A one to five minute period ofobservation wtih the drum rotating at 33 /3 r.p.m. is essential tofinish the stimulation. A session once a day is sufiicient, sincethealerting sensory awareness effects lasts for several hours.

Experimental subjects report various sensations such as enhanced hearingactivity, heightened visual sensory awareness for color, increasedability to read at higher speed and comprehension, and, in general, aheightening of intellectual functions.

I claim:

1. An optokinetic learning device comprising a right cylindrical drumadapted to be mounted on a variablespeed turntable,

a band on the exterior of said drum and providing a right-cylindricalouter surface,

the band being open and unmasked whereby substantially an entirehemi-cylinder is presented to an observer,

said band having on said outer surface a white background with denselyarranged dark indicia thereon arranged about the periphery thereof andproviding a substantially continuous pattern of dark and whiteinterfaces between the indicia and said background.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1, said band comprising an annularcontinuous strip of material removably engaged on the exterior of saiddrum.

3. The combination claimed in claim 2, said indicia being printed wordsarranged in panels around the periphery of said band.

4. The combination claimed in claim 3, said back ground being white andsaid printed words being in black type.

5. The method of stimulating sensory awareness in a subject, comprising,

initially passing in a circular path at a predetermined speed a band ofdensely printed black indicia on a white background before the eyes ofthe subject under light conditions and under conditions conducive toproduce concentration of the subjects attention to the indicia,

then repetitively passing said indicia in the same circu= lar path untilan indicia-following reflex accompanied by a rapid-return movement isinduced in the subjects eyes,

and thereafter continuing to pass said band before the subjects eyesunder the aforesaid conditions until the subjects sensory awareness isenhanced.

6. The method recited in claim 5, wherein the indicia comprise words anddefinitions thereof.

7. The method claimed in claim 5, wherein the indicia comprise words ofmeaning to the subject whose intelligence is to be imparted to thesubject.

8. The method claimed in claim 5, wherein the printed indicia arearranged in vertical columns and wherein there are white backgroundmargins between the columns.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 346,656 8/1886 Hopkins 35-35]2,204,435 6/ 1940 Musaphia 40-77 X 2,955,509 10/1960 Morgan 352-2WILLIAM H. GRIEB, Primary Examiner

